Home
Rintala Smoot Jaenicke & Rees LLP
Firm Overview Attorney Profiles Practice Areas Representative Clients Contact Information
 Print this page

William T. Rintala
Specializing in Copyright Law, Entertainment Law, and General Business Law


  
  Copyright Litigation
  Entertainment Litigation
  General Business Litigation
  Email: wrintala@rsjr.com
  Tel: 310.203.0935
  Fax: 310.556.8921

Bill Rintala has handled copyright, trademark and unfair competition cases for Warner Bros., Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, CBS, William Morris Agency and Host Marriott Corporation and was co-counsel for the heirs of Margaret Mitchell in a successful suit to establish ownership of the motion picture sequel rights to "Gone With The Wind." He has also litigated a wide range of business disputes, including trade secrets, franchise issues, Uniform Commercial Code, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, breach of contract and talent agency disputes.


Admitted:

  • California, 1967
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1976

Education:

  • University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, CA, 1967 J.D.
    Honors: Order of the Coif
  • Law Review: Executive Director, California Law Review, 1966 - 1967
  • Stanford University, Stanford, California, 1961 B.A.

Affiliations:

  • Public Counsel, 1977 - 1980
    Member, Board of Directors
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association, 1980 - 1990
    Chair, Amicus Brief Committee
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association, 1971 - Present
    Member
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    Member
  • American Bar Association
    Member, Litigation and Intellectual Property Law Sections
  • State Bar of California, 1981 - 1984
    Appellate Courts Committee
  • State Bar of California, 1967 - Present
    Member
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers
    Member

Published Works:

  • Comment: "The Mere Evidence Rule: Limitations on Seizure Under the Fourth Amendment", 54 California Law Review 2099, 1966
  • Copyright, Competitive Business Practises, Second Edition, 1991
  • Remittitur, California Civil Appellate Practice, Third Edition, 1996
  • Chapter on Copyright in CEB (Co-Author) Attorney's Guide to the Law of Competitive Business Practices, 1981
  • "Review by California Supreme Court", CEB, California Civil Appellate Practice, 2nd Edition, 1985

Representative Cases:

  • Wendt v. Host International, Inc., 197 F.3d 1284 (9th Cir. 1999)
  • Wendt v. Host International, Inc., 125 F.3d 806 (9th Cir. 1997)
  • Crawford v. Board of Education, 17 Cal.3d 280, 130 Cal. Rptr. 724, 551 P.2d 28 (Cal. 1976)
  • Blair v. Pitchess, 5 Cal.3d 258, 96 Cal. Rptr. 42, 486 P.2d 1242 (Cal. 1971)
  • Serrano v. Priest, 5 Cal.3d 584, 96 Cal. Rptr. 601, 487 P.2d 1241 (Cal. 1971)
  • Vylene Enterprises, Inc. v. Naugles, Inc., 968 F.2d 887 (9th Cir. 1992)
  • Trust Company Bank v. MGM/UA Entertainment Co., 593 F. Supp. 580, aff'd. 772 F.2d 740 (N.D. Georgia 1984, 11th Cir. 1985 1984)

Classes/Seminars Taught:

  • Copyright, Continuing Education of the Bar
  • Copyright, Practicing Law Institute

Past Positions:

  • Kaplan, Livingston, Goodwin, Berkowitz & Selvin, Partner
  • Western Center on Law and Poverty, Assistant Director of Litigation, 1968 - 1971
  • California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division 3, Honorable Murray Draper, Law Clerk, 1967 - 1968



Disclaimer Copyright ©2001 Rintala, Smoot, Jaenicke, & Rees LLP